Archbishop’s Panagia Depicting The Virgin And Child, Russian Empire, Saint Petersburg

An oval-shaped, gilded silver archiepiscopal pectoral cross, representing a remarkable example of Russian ecclesiastical metalwork from the Late Historicism period. At the center of the obverse is a polychrome enamel medallion depicting the Virgin and Child, executed in the iconographic tradition of Orthodox miniatures. The medallion is surrounded by a wreath of freshwater pearls, emphasizing the sacred nature of the object. The outer rim of the obverse is adorned with an inscription engraved in Church Slavonic containing an apostolic exhortation of a moral nature: “BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE FAITHFUL IN WORD, CONDUCT, LOVE, SPIRIT, FAITH, AND PURITY.” The body of the panagia is decorated with a rich ornamental relief composed of ribbons and floral motifs, forming a balanced four-part composition characteristic of the solemn archiepiscopal insignia of the late 19th century.

The reverse is adorned with a relief depiction of the double-headed eagle of the House of Romanov, set within a laurel wreath, a symbol of military glory and the valour of the state. In the upper section, on an unfurled ribbon, is the inscription: “GOD IS WITH US.” A circular inscription of a liturgical nature runs around the reverse: “SAVE US, PROTECT US, LORD, FOR THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ILLUMINATES ALL,” accompanied by the date “1877–1878,” indicating the object’s commemorative connection to the Russo-Turkish War. The panagia is surmounted by a crown with a cross, attached by a movable hinge. Attached to the crown is a silver chain composed of openwork links in the shape of Orthodox crosses. Suspended from the lower part of the composition is an additional circular medallion adorned with an enameled cross.

Hallmarks: Master’s mark with the Cyrillic letters “AS” in a rectangular cartouche, attributed to Alexei Stepanov; mark of the St. Petersburg Assay Office indicating a fineness of “84” and the city’s coat of arms; assayer’s mark “O.S.” above a line with the date “1888,” corresponding to Oscar Strömer of Saint Petersburg, active in the second half of the 1880s.

Dimensions: Medallion: height 19 cm, width 10 cm. Chain: length 43 cm.

Weight: 255 g.

Condition: Good. Slight signs of age and wear. Localized loss of certain decorative elements and small areas where enamel is missing, which do not affect the integrity or overall appearance of the object.

Provenance: Archiepiscopal Panagia presented in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.